Wheel-mounting tool



Jan. 23, 1968 J, M, FR EET 3,364,558

WHEEL MOUNTING TOOL Filed Sept. 12, 1966 I III I ll INVENTOR.

dimwmv M/Zfff BY I ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,364,558 WHEEL-MOUNTING TOOL Jefferson M. Freet,7230 SE. Reed College Place,

Portland, Oreg. 97202 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.419,927,

Dec. 21, 1964. This application Sept. 12, I966, Ser. No. 578,808

1 Claim. (Cl. 29-273) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tire tool whichincludes a shank, a collar on the shank adapted to engage a tiresecuring stud, the collar being of a diameter less than that of thestud, and a sleeve slidably received on the shank for being slid overthe collar and over the stud for supporting a wheel to prevent the holesin the wheel from engaging the threads on the stud during the mountingof a wheel on an automobile is disclosed.

This invention relates to hand tools and more particularly to a tool formounting wheels onto the hubs of vehicles and constitutes an improvementover United States Patents 1,969,233 to Patterson, 1,999,206 toPatterson, and 3,048,919 to Bald. This application is acontinuationinpart of my copending application Ser. No. 419,927, nowabandoned, filed Dec. 21, 1964, and entitled, Wrench and Guide Tool.

Each of the aforementioned patents discloses a hand tool for mountingvehicular wheels on a hub and includes a shank extending through thebolt holes of the wheel with the end of the shank being configured to bereceived on a hub stud to allow upward pivotal movement of the the toolthereby raising the wheel which is being mounted. As the wheel israised, it moves by gravity along the shank to a position adjacent thehub so that the user may position the hub on the studs extending awaytherefrom.

In automobile wheels now in use, the bolt holes are normally inwardlybeveled to receive a tapered nut and thereby center the wheel on thestuds extending from the hub. One difiiculty with the devices of theprior art is that the tapered bolt hole slides along the shank of thetool thereby eroding the beveled bolt hole and consequently oihcenteringthe hole. When the tapered nuts are threaded over the hub studs, thewheel is no longer appropriately centered thereby allowing some freeplay between the wheel and the hub even though the nuts are tightlyfastened.

In brief terms the device of the instant invention comprises a wheellifting tool equipped with means for obviating the abrasion of thebeveled bolt holes thereby precluding the same from becomingoff-centered. More specitically, the device of the instant inventioncomprises a wheel mounting tool having an elongate substantiallystraight shank slidably receiving a hollow sleeve dimensioned to receivethe bolt hole such that raising of the tool results in sliding movementbetween the sleeve and the shank rather than between the wheel and theshank. It will accordingly be seen that any abrasion of parts will occurbetween the tool and the sleeve rather than between the wheel and theshank thereby precluding ofi-centered erosion of the bolt holes.

It is accordingly an object of the instant invention to provide a guidetool which may be used for mounting demountable vehicle wheels whileobviating the tendency to abrade the inner surfaces of the bolt holes.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a guide toolequipped with an elongated and slidable sleeve member providing means toavoid off-centered abrasion of the bolt holes as well as providing meansfor readily rotating the tool when the tool is reversed to thread thetapered nuts onto the hub studs.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a guide toolof the character described in which the collar engaging the hub stud isof lesser diameter than the hub stud itself to allow movement of thewheel over the collar onto the hub stud.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention reside in thecombinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features ofconstruction and utilization, all as will be more fully pointed outhereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there isshown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the guide tool of the instantinvention illustrated in operative relation with a vehicle hub and avehicle wheel shown in crosssection for purposes of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the tool ofFIGURE 1 illustrating the operative connection with the hub stud andwheel, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustrations;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the guide tool of FIGURES 2 and3, as may be seen from along line 3--3 of FIGURE 2 as viewed in thedirection indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the other end of the tool ofFIGURES 1 and 2 as may be seen from along line 44- of FIGURE 2 as viewedin the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like referencecharacters designate like elements throughout the several views thereof,the wheel mounting tool of the instant invention is designated generallyat 10 in operative relation to a vehicle wheel shown generally at 12which is in the process of being mounted onto a vehicle hub showngenerally at 14. In the operation of tool It), the elongate front endthereof will be inserted through one of the bolt holes of wheel 12 withthe forward end of tool Ill then being inserted over the end of one ofthe studs of hub 14. The individual then lifts the free end of tool ltlsuch that wheel 12 gravitates toward hub 14 and is guided along its pathof movement by the end of tool 10.

Hub 14 is illustrated as a conventional vehicular hub and is providedwith a plurality of outwardly extending externally threaded bolts orstuds 16. Wheel 12 is likewise conventional and includes acircumferential grooved member 18 for receiving a conventional pneumaticor solid tire. A generally circular plate 20 covers the inside diameterof angular member 13 and is provided with a plurality of bolt holesdesignated generally at 22 having an outwardly flaring beveled edge 24of a known type.

The wheel mounting tool of the instant invention has as its majorcomponents a main body designated generally at 26, a stud receivingsocket or collar designated generally at 28 and a sleeve denominatedgenerally at 39 mounted for free slidable movement along main body 26.Main body 26 includes an elongate straight rigid shank 32 of generallycircular cross-sectional configuration and an off-set handle 34illustrated as a U-shaped handle intermediate the ends of main body 26.The end of shank 32 forms a socket receiving detent head 36 removablyreceiving socket 23 in a conventional manner. The other end of main body26 includes an extension 38 equipped with a socket receiving detent head40 on which is removably positioned a conventional nut receiving socket42. It will be readily apparent that after wheel 12 is positioned on hub14, tool 10 may be reversed in order to threadably engage a nut 44having a beveled lower end 46 onto stud 16.

As previously mentioned, collar or socket 28 is configured to bereleasably secured on the end of a detent head 36. An important featureof collar 28 is that the external diameter thereof is substantiallyequal to the diameter of circular shank 32 and is less than the diameterof hub stud 16. It will be evident that sleeve 39 will readily slidealong shank 32 and collar 28 in order to position wheel 12 adjacentstuds 14. If collar 28 were as large or larger than hub stud 16, collar30 would of necessity be considerably larger than hub stud 16. If thiswere so bolt holes 22 would have to be considerably larger than hub stud16 thereby allowing considerable free play between wheel 12 and hub 14.Accordingly, collar 28 and shank 32 have somewhat smaller diameters thanshank 16 while collar 30 is approximately the same diameter as hub stud16. The terminal end 48 of collar 28 is preferably arcuately tapered inthe manner illustrated in FIGURE 2 to allow upward pivotal movement oftool 10 using stud 16 as the fulcrum therefor.

Sleeve 30 includes a metallic casing 50 dimensioned to freely slidablyreceive shank 32 and is provided with an annular lip 52 as shown best inFIGURE 2. The external diameter of tubular casing 50 is such as torelatively closely receive bolt hole 22 of wheel 12. Accordingly, thediameter of casing 50 is approximately equal to that of stud 16. Afterwheel 12 has been inserted over sleeve 30, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2,collar 28 is positioned on the outer end of hub stud 16. The oppositeend of tool 10 is then raised to allow for gravitational sliding ofwheel 12 and collar 30, as a unit, along shank 32 until wheel 12 ispositioned immediately adjacent stud 16. Wheel 12 may then be slidablymoved along a short portion of collar 30 until bolt hole 22 isimmediately adjacent stud 16. Collar 30 may be retracted from engagementwith bolt hole 22 by grasping lip 52 and pulling away from stud 16.Wheel 12 may then be slidably moved onto stud 16 to complete themounting operation.

Tool 10 may then be reversed with socket 42 receiving nut 44 forthreadably engaging nut 44 onto stud 16 thereby afiixing wheel 12 to hub14. It will be readily apparent that the device of the instant inventionminimizes sliding movement tending to abrade and enlarge bolt hole 22thereby precluding the creation of an oif-center hole tending to allowrelative movement between hub 14 and wheel 12.

It is now seen that there is herein provided an improved wheel mountingtool which accomplishes all of the objects of the instant invention andothers, including many advantages of great practical utility andcommercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, andsince many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbeforeshown and described, it is to be understood that the foregoing is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A wheel mounting tool for mounting a demountable vehicle wheel onto ahub comprising:

an elongate straight rigid main body of substantially circularcross-section;

an off-set handle on the main body;

a hollow collar, rigidly afiixed on one end of the main body, providingmeans for receiving a hub stud to allow pivoting of the main body on thestud, said collar being of a diameter not greater than the diameter ofthe stud; and

a hollow sleeve freely slidably receiving the main body and normallypositioned between the handle and the collar and freely slidablethroughout the entire length of the main body, the sleeve beingdimensioned to slide freely over the collar and the stud for supportingthe mountable wheel and sliding along the shank with the mountable wheelas the tool is pivoted on the hub stud, the sleeve being dimensioned toextend into the bolt holes of the demountable Wheel for protecting thenormally beveled edges thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,969,233 8/1934 Patterson 29-2731,999,206 4/1935 Patterson 29273 3,048,919 8/1962 Bald 29-273 FOREIGNPATENTS 779,150 7/1957 Great Britain. 702,461 l/1931 France.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, Assistant Examiner.

